Guwahati's iconic hotel will be history from Thursday
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 29: The Brahmaputra Ashok, one of the oldest luxurious and iconic hotels in the North East, which will be history from Thursday, has outstanding bills to the tune of crores of rupees.
Political leaders and their parties, students’ organizations, several State government departments, PSUs under the Central government and private parties are among those with bills remaining unpaid to the hotel even years after holding mega events. Ironically, while the State government is justifying the move to close down the hotel citing huge losses, some organizations which are in the list of bill payment defaulters are opposing the closure.
The Chief Minister’s Secretariat has outstanding bills to the tune of Rs 20.42 lakh, while the Office of Directorate of Tourism has around Rs 9.13 lakh unpaid bills. The North East Mega Food Park owes Rs 10.44 lakh to the hotel and a bill of Rs 13.31 lakh has not been paid by tiol Handloom Development Corporation. Important State government departments such as Political department and Industry & Commerce department are yet to clear Rs 2.3 lakh and Rs 4.4 lakh respectively. Among others who have not cleared bills to the hotel are AASU (Rs 2.31 lakh), BCPL (Rs 4.14 lakh) and AIDC (Rs 2.9 lakh)
Situated on the Brahmaputra’s southern bank at scenic Latasil area in Guwahati, the Brahmaputra Ashok hotel, a joint venture of the ITDC and Assam Tourism department, has been taken over by the State government on July 1 last. The Assam Tourism Development Corporation, the present owner of the hotel, has already asked different organizations to clear their outstanding bills.
The ATDC plans to convert the hotel into a State guest house and convention centre. There are two State guest houses in the city – one occupied by Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal (Brahmaputra Guest House) and another atop Koidhora hill by his predecessor Tarun Gogoi.
Social activist Adip Phukan on Tuesday strongly opposed the proposed State government’s move to convert the Brahmaputra Ashok Hotel into a State guest house cum convention centre. He demanded both the present Chief Minister and former CM to vacate the existing guest houses. Phukan said the hotel gave employment to many youths of Assam and they are faced with a bleak future following Dispur’s decision to close the same.